Why you need a mobile shopping app even when you got a responsive

In our periodic customer research (at Magestore) , we found out that around 60% of our customers already have responsive themes but less than 2% owns a mobile shopping app. We ask them the reasons and the most common answers are that “we are satisfied with responsive theme” or “that’s enough for mobile”

At the same time, we asked SimiCart customers who already have a beautiful responsive design or mobile site the reasons they decided to get another mobile solution to your store. Here are the answers!

This is not another article about battle between mobile shopping app and responsive theme. I can’t think of any reason they have to be rivals. They are two tools for you to grow your mobile business. In this post, I will discuss why you should have a mobile shopping app even when your responsive theme is good enough.

“Customers sometimes complaining us about our site loading time on mobile”

As mobile app is written in the language of the mobile devices ( C++ for iOS and Java for Android, C# for Window), it will run direct on the devices. Whereas mobile website is a website crafted to adopt the layout of viewing environment, which means it will have to check device resolutions, return the query results and load the images whenever running on mobile.
Hence, the loading time of mobile app will is shorter than that of responsive theme. If mobile traffic plays a growing role in the traffic to your website, you should plan to get a mobile app to best serve customers. They will be happy with a fast-loading app.

“Mobile customers find our payment process complex for them to finish a purchase”

You don’t have to be an expert in customer behaviors to know that mobile users have different behaviors with laptop/ desktop users. Yes, of course, the former group uses finger to tap while the later uses hand to click! As a result, mobile users will not expect to see the same layout with your website on their devices.

This unexpected thing is brought by responsive theme, which simply adjusts website elements to fit with mobile resolutions. Whereas, mobile app will change the navigation, structure, text, image, and even the buttons of your website to meet the mobile users’ . It knows exactly where your customers’ are going to tap to buy!

“We want to engage mobile customers more”

Personally, I think this is the biggest reason why you should get a mobile app for your store. Customers love to visit and buy you via mobile, why not WOW them with amazing ideas that only mobile technologies can do! Let’s

Send a message ” So HOT today? Sales 15% for all ice-cream” direct to all customers in a hot day.
Give them the shortest way to one of your physical stores
Rewards customers with loyalty points whenever they check-in at any physical store
Interact with customers by asking them to scan QR code to get a coupon?
…
These wonderful ideas are what every marketer dream of. You can do all of them via a mobile shopping app.

“We have many regular customers and they want something to make purchase quickly via mobile”

If you have a responsive theme only, this scenario may true for you. A customer may suddenly need to buy something from you, they open their browsers, searching your store name (a name that they may vaguely remember). Among thousands of results shown, if you are lucky on the top, they will tap to see you. Otherwise, they may tap on any names that offer similar products like yours.

But if you have a mobile app want customers stay long with you, a mobile app will help. Once your customers download and install your mobile app, it simply stays on your their devices (I won’t say forever but at least you can do something to keep it long enough). Your store will be their first and best choice when they make a purchase. Especially if you are selling something that customers purchase regularly, a mobile app will be very beneficial.

Once again, my post is not to deny the role of responsive theme or state that mobile shopping app is the best of the best. You need both of them. In the world of 4.55 billion mobile users, your next battle is in mobile-commerce. Once you are well-equipped with best weapons, you win 50%.

5 Tips for Boosting Your Mobile Marketing Platform in 2015

As we saw when holiday shopping was in full swing, consumers are using their mobile devices as their preferred platform for reviewing products and making purchases. If you are a bit behind in your mobile strategy, focus on this area of your marketing now to ensure your brand is positioned to be noticed by your target consumer base during next year’s shopping rush.

1. Make sure you are utilizing the correct keywords.

This may sound a bit old school, but proper keyword usage is just as important to mobile marketing as it is to content marketing. The primary difference is that when tweaking your mobile marketing platform, you need to utilize the correct keywords along with business-specific keywords.

Remember, when your customers are searching on their mobile devices, they are likely searching locally, so include your locale in your keyword optimization. Additionally, keep in mind that due to the small size of the keywords, most users are only going to type in three keywords at the most. Try Google’s mobile-only keyword tool in AdWords. While the goal is often to land in the top ten searches on a desktop search, with mobile your goal should be to land in the top three, since users do not want to scroll.

2. Brick-and-mortar establishments must include contact information.

This will make it much easier for shoppers in your area to locate you through organic searches. Make it a point to include such information as your address and a map. It is also important to be certain that your business is included in local business listings and directories.

3. Connecting with customers.

One of the advantages of mobile marketing platform is that it is actually much easier to connect with your target customers than with traditional search engine marketing.

That being said, you need to make mobile marketing a priority in your overall strategy in order to tap into that advantage. If you are running a sale or have a new offer, make sure you include it on your mobile site first because this is likely where your customers will look first. To drive response rates even higher, provide your users with an opt-in option to receive alerts for new offers.

4. Experiment with your website.

Do not be afraid to drift away from the tried and true when it comes to the design of your mobile website. If there is one place where you can feel free to be more creative, this is it. Users are often looking for an entertainment aspect when using their mobile devices. Get creative to drive engagement.

5. Make it compatible.

Finally, make certain your mobile marketing materials and site are compatible with all mobile devices. This is particularly important whenever there is a release of a major new device, such as the iPhone 6. The last thing you want to have happen is to miss a customer because they could not find you through mobile searches due to incompatibility issues.

Read more : Guide to design and build a Magento mobile app

For more information about Simicart – The best Magento Mobile Shopping App, Click Here

3 keywords in Mobile Marketing Tips for 2015

With mobile use in the U.S. finally surpassing desktop use in 2014, it’s a great time to make mobile marketing a priority.

Transactions completed on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets were expected to reach $114 billion last year, according to Forrester Research. And some 60 percent of small businesses say that mobile solutions are essential to their businesses.

This is good news for small business owners, who are now able to get closer to their customers than ever before with ads that are personalized, local and timely. Here are some mobile marketing tips on how to create a great mobile marketing strategy for 2015.
Keep It Simple
Because mobile screens have limited space, it’s important to stay focused with clear and direct messages. Skip the extra text, fancy graphics and drop-down menus — mobile customers don’t want to pinch and zoom. And if consumers can’t navigate your site, they’ll turn to a more mobile-friendly competitor.
Instead, give mobile customers what they need most — your location, hours of operation and information on current deals. Larger fonts and thumb-size buttons will make mobile navigation easier. Providing a phone number and a “call now” button at the top of the page can also help drive mobile traffic and increase walk-ins.
Location, Location, Location
Mobile shoppers are on the go, and their searches often reflect immediate needs – they may be hungry, have a flat tire or need a place to stay. In fact, three-fourths of U.S. consumers use location-based services on their smartphone according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Target local customers with offers based on their zip codes, addresses, neighborhoods, or check-in points, and provide maps to help them find you.
Just as important: offer deals that are timely and relevant to your location. When rain turned the streets of New Orleans to mud before the city’s popular famous Jazz & Heritage Festival, one local business owner tweeted about rain boots for sale at her shoe store. Her boots sold out in two hours.
Get Personal
Mobile marketing is becoming increasingly personal as businesses learn more about their customers’ shopping habits, hobbies and other interests. Getting consumers’ permission to enter their personal spaces, and being transparent about how their data is used, can keep that personalization from becoming too pushy.
“Awareness and presence are no longer enough for modern brands. Customers want engagement,” writes Eric Siu in Entrepreneur. Netflix, for example, personalizes movie recommendations; Amazon suggests products based on viewing histories and Facebook offers personalized news feeds. With social media giving consumers experiences tailored to their specific interests, personalization is no longer a luxury, but an expectation, he says.
The good news is that personalized marketing enables brands to engage with customers on a deeper level, which drives both business and loyalty. Over 60 percent of consumers have a better opinion of brands when they offer a great mobile experience, according to the Mobile Marketing Association. Whether you’re just getting started or reevaluating priorities for the year ahead, a focus on mobile marketing is a smart strategy for any business looking to be competitive in 2015.

A comparison of Mobile Shopping App and Responsive Design

If you are a storeowner who are wondering whether to build a mobile shopping app or to choose responsive design, this article will help you deal with that issue.

This post shows an infographic about the pros and cons of mobile shopping app and responsive design website with 10 questions. After answering these questions, you will feel it easier to choose a suitable one.

Simply, we bring you “Magento in a mobile app” that…

• Best synchronized with your Magento store: product types, shipping, price, tax
• Create your unique customized mobile app by easily adding preferred theme and plugins
• Utilize maximum mobile features: Push notifications, Store locator, Instant Contact, etc
• It’s easy to build Magento mobile apps with SimiCart

SimiCart is a Magento mobile app builder platform, which will automatically build a native app for your online business with the information you provide. Within 3 mins, not 30 days or 3 months as normal, you can have a powerful mobile shopping app with optimized mobile UI.
Only local images are allowed.

Customize mobile shopping apps with plugins

SimiCart is developed on plugin mechanism, which increases the ability to customize your Magento mobile app. Like Lego game, you can build your app by matching it with plugins that suit your online business most. Don’t worry that yours will be another cloned app. It’s made for your webstore only.
Only local images are allowed.

Specialized for mobile shopping app

SimiCart is integrated with Magento- the world’s most popular eCommerce platform. Every button, link, notification or payment system.. on your shopping app is designed to promise your customers a fantastic buying experience with you right on their mobile or tablet.
Only local images are allowed.

The best choice for Magento merchants

Many differences that make SimiCart your wisest choice:

It’s specially designed for Magento stores where products, tax, shipping… can be supported.
It’s directly connected with your server system, thus raising the access speed and data security.
It runs smoothly and provides more user-friendly interface.
It can be built with any language and currency.
View highlight points of SimiCart Here

Create M-commerce app to reach customers anywhere! Start with SimiCart- a Magento Mobile App Builder to make mobile shopping app for Magento site.